Popular traditional beverage known as “Okinawa milk tea” has its roots in the Japanese island of Okinawa. The Okinawa Prefecture in Japan is honoured by the name of this variety of milk tea.

Whole milk from local cows, loose-leaf black tea, usually Assam, and Kokuto sugar or Okinawa brown sugar, a particular ingredient that gives the milk its characteristic flavour and authentic taste, are used to make milk tea. Although they are not the same, Okinawa milk tea and Hokkaido milk tea are occasionally confused.

Taste of Okinawa Milk Tea

The distinctive flavour of Okinawa milk tea is derived from kokuto sugar. Compared to the typical brown sugar we typically use, this is different. The process of turning refined white sugar back into brown sugar involves adding molasses.

Okinawa brown sugar is made by toasting sugarcane juice to a desirable consistency.

The roasted brown sugar is a powerhouse of nutrients. The distinctively rich, toasted, and tangy flavour of Okinawa milk tea is a result of the utilisation of premium quality ingredients, especially the Okinawa brown sugar.

The natural Japanese sweetener Kokuto’s sweetness strikes a good balance with its strong tang.

The Best Way to Make Okinawa Milk Tea

We believe that using high-quality black loose leaf tea enriches the complex flavours of this distinctive milk tea, even though Okinawa milk tea is commonly brewed with a tea-based powder at cafes and boba stores.

Making Okinawa milk tea at home is simple and produces a sweet, pleasant tea that may be consumed hot or cold.

Ingredients in Okinawa Milk Tea

• Loose leaf black tea – Black tea is typically the cornerstone of Okinawa milk tea. Assam, Irish Breakfast, and English Breakfast are all excellent choices for robust black teas.
• Milk – For a very creamy, rich beverage, we advise using whole milk. You may also use your preferred plant-based milk.
• Sweetener – Okinawa brown sugar is typically used to sweeten Okinawa milk tea. If you don’t have kokuto, you can substitute molasses, normal brown sugar, or toasted sugar.

Instructions for Making Okinawa Milk Tea

• Measure your leaves – For every six ounces of water in your pot or cup, use roughly one teaspoon of tea leaves. We advise using a teapot, tea infuser, or tea filter to brew loose leaf tea. Through the use of these techniques, the tea leaves can expand during steeping, producing a cup with greater flavour.
• Heat the water – Bring filtered water to a full boil (212 degrees, roughly). You can warm your water in a saucepan on the stove, an electric kettle or a stovetop kettle.
• Infuse your tea leaves – Cover your tea leaves with boiling water, and let them steep for three to five minutes. Remove the tea leaves closer to the five-minute mark for a stronger brew.
• Sweeten your tea – To sweeten your tea, choose from brown sugar, molasses, toasted sugar, or traditional Okinawa brown sugar. Add the milk to your tea in step three. The milk can be heated and frothed before being added, just like in a typical tea latte, if you’d like.
• Chill your tea (optional) – You can chill Okinawa milk tea before serving it over ice if you like to drink it cold. Additionally popular are tapioca pearls.

What Sets Hokkaido Milk Tea Apart from Okinawa Milk Tea?

Hokkaido milk tea and Okinawa milk tea are quite similar. They both originate from parts of Japan, for starters. Additionally, they have similar fundamental components including black tea, milk, and sweetener.

What makes a difference, then? These teas are all special because they each use a distinctive native ingredient.

While Okinawa milk tea often employs subtle, nuanced Okinawa brown sugar, Hokkaido milk tea customarily uses rich, creamy milk from the Hokkaido region of Japan.

Even while you may still make these teas with regular milk and conventional brown sugar, they still get their names and distinguishing qualities from these special components.

Health Benefits of Okinawa Tea

• Enhancing Heart Health

Okinawa tea is proven to be able to enhance cardiovascular health. Okinawa tea has been demonstrated in studies to possess characteristics that may improve heart pumping and lessen arterial blockages.

The saponins in this tea have also been demonstrated to boost stamina and endurance.

• Could Lower Cholesterol Levels

Additionally, there is proof that tea may lower elevated cholesterol levels. Catechins are a class of antioxidants found in Okinawa tea. Antioxidants like these are crucial for preserving normal cholesterol levels.

Okinawa tea has been shown in studies to lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. Gypenosides, which are present in Okinawa Tea, have been demonstrated to raise HDL levels and decrease LDL levels.

• Accelerate Fat Burning

Okinawa tea, according to research, can boost fat burning by up to 40% when consumed regularly. According to the study, people who frequently drank Okinawa tea lost up to three times as much weight as those who didn’t. Active polyphenols in tea assist boost vigour and reduce fatigue.

Conclusion

Any occasion is a good one for Okinawa tea. If you’re making it for the first time, make sure to keep track of how much kokuto (sugar) you’re adding to the tea because kokuto is really sweet and can sneak up on you.

Once you’ve made this tea for the first time, you’ll undoubtedly make it again because it has a very mild, well-balanced flavour, and the milk adds an incomparable creaminess.